Secrets of the Sister Scarlet
by Dr. Jhon Smith
Summary: Flandre Scarlet has lost her immortality and regained her sanity, but her transformation does not come without consequence. An ancient evil has returned to reclaim that which she has stolen from him.
1. Chapter 1

Secrets of the Sister Scarlet:

A Bloody Prologue

The halls of the scarlet devil mansion have never been well lit. The few windows it possessed were located mainly amongst the outer walls. After all its inhabitants have never had much love for the light.

Sakuya Izayoi, the perfect maid, walks the dreary halls of the Scarlet devil mansion with a droop in her step. Today had been especially trying, first it was Thursday, more importantly the third Thursday of the month, library dusting day. As the name suggests, it requires a duster, and a maid, and 432,069 book cases- in section 6 of 9, sub alcove 5. Her time manipulating abilities have hastened most of the work, although the sheer vastnesses of the library as well as her regular chores have drained her of her reserves. To put it bluntly, she was spent, and needed the closest bed NOW.

Patchouli was not very forgiving either. Although she chooses to accompany Sakuya on these dusting excursions, she more often than not fails to do her share of the work. Granted, her asthma casts a phobia of all things powerder-like in consistency. Koakuma, although adept at dusting books, was reduced to tending to her mistress' health as the air's particle density increased, and eventually departed with her mistress in tow, leaving Sakuya to the dusting duties.

Sakuya passes a nearby clock noting her the time, a time well past the end of night. She continued her dreary steps to complete the final task. , seeing the young mistress, Flandre Scarlet.

[Detour]

The clock tower room, a room not often visited by many, but adored by the few, very few, that know of its existence. Sakuya's steps sync with the ticking of the gears. She has always felt the most at peace here. Here was the ultimate representation of Time, her domain. Within the turning of gears, the shifts of gyros, and the exchange of weights, the sounds and spirit of time rang out in perfect harmony with the world. She closes her eyes for but a moment, letting herself mentally separate from the temporal plain of which she treads.

...But there is another beat ringing from the darkness.

One. Two. Three. Four.

Her crystal blue eyes snapped open.

One. Two. Three. Four.

Her head snaps in the direction of one particular hall way. The one that is bare of decoration, of windows, of light, and of safety- the basement.

She pauses for a moment; a small click reverberates about the clock's innards.

[Time Stands Still]

She disappears in a flash of blue.

Her pocket watch snapped shut.

[Time Flows Again]

Sakuya wastes no time (pun intended) waiting on Time to being flowing, and takes off in a run just as time begins to flow again. The beat is louder now, and more frantic.

One. Two. Three. Four.

Nothing ever comes from this hallway.

One. Two. Three. Four.

This hall was set aside for a good purpose

One. Two. Three. Four.

The basement was set aside for a good purpose.

One. Two. Three. Four.

Flandre has always wanted out, but has never banged on her door in the past.

Finally she reaches the door.

One. Two. Three-

The ornate stone double doors stand firm to their making. Designed by Koakuma to withstand even the most powerful spell cards and danmaku, Enchanted by Patchouli to be as durable as the library, and fated by the Mansion's mistress to hold back the madness of the girl locked inside-but only one holds the key.

One.-

Against her better judgment Sakuya Izayoi unlocks the door.

Nine knives insert themselves into the door, into specialized slots arranged in two shapes. The inner set of knives formed a triangle in the center of the double doors. The outer set forms a hexagon. The knives glow a dull green, and begin to shift. The outer set rotated to the left, cutting into the door forming a perfect circle. The second set also turned until it aligned with the first set. A narrow slit cut from the top of the door to its base.

Sakuya hesitantly placed her hand on the door. A sudden and familiar scent filled her nostrils. She looked down, and within the dark dreary twilight of a lone window that cast ivory moon light into the space. A crimson pool grew at the base of the door, at the mouth of the slit, and it grew...and grew.

Sakuya gripped a knife from both sides of the door, and pulled with all her might.

They swung open with a clunk, and a blonde figure fell forward with a sickening splash. Had Sakuya not seen greater horrors in her age, bile would have left her long ago.

"Young Mistress!" she knelt next to her form attempting to rouse her. The crimson pool continued to grow.

"Flandre!" the vampire's arm suddenly jerked to take Sakuya by the shoulder. Flandre's dress was soaking with blood and that blood soon transitioned to Sakuya's maid outfit as she climbed into the silver haired maid's arms.

She forced Sakuya to look her in the eye. She uttered four words almost a mere murmur, but the language was incomprehensible.


	2. Chapter 2

Secrets of the Sister Scarlet- _Gensokyo, I have returned..._

Hakurei shrine has never been a place of many visitors. Perhaps once in a blue moon a worshiper comes by, but most, if any, choose not to leave donations for the single remaining heir to the Hakurei family. Arguably, Gensokyo should be grateful to Reimu, for being the guardian of the Border separating reality and Gensokyo, and for saving Gensokyo from numerous "incidents". But alas, her relations to youkai, e.g, Yukari Yakumo, Suika Ibuki, the three fairies of light. The latter two of which take residence on the shrine grounds, and the former drops by for visits, and is rumored to be the only donor to the shrine.

Alas today is no different.

"Gods, its morning...", she said less than graciously as her muscles protested the movement. Wrapped in her night robes, and disheveled hair, she sits up, pushing aside the blanket from her futon, only to realize there is a slight chill in the air. She shivers and holds the blanket close once more.

Her bedroom is small, being the only resident of the shrine, aside from Suika who prefers to sleep outdoors, she had converted all of the other rooms to store rooms, and work rooms long ago. She rose to her feet, ignoring the cries of her knees, and the cold. She stepped over to the standing mirror opposite the door, her black hair was in a mess, and the robes were less than graceful to say the least. Sighing she stepped away from the mirror and trudged into the shrine, using the wall for support, in attempts to find the washroom.

Moments later she returned with her hair flowing down, combed down no doubt, and with the absence of her hair tubes and her ribbon, she had a quite nice mob of hair that went slightly past her shoulders. She stepped into the mirror once more, admiring her self. Not that she's vain or anything, its just since Remilia had this made for her after one of their spring festivals, she thought it might as well be made useful as opposed to gathering dust in one of the store rooms. Taking her mind off herself, she turned to her drawers, opening them she found her regular miko outfit, she pondered it for a moment.

_Its freezing outside, and I am going to wear this... I can't wear this!_

She picked it up, hoping to find some other clothes beneath to supplement the garment. She found a second miko outfit, this one with a traditional white top, she pushed it aside, and found its matching red skirt. She took it from the drawer and stepped over to the mirror. And held it up against, her, it fit, and it looked nice. She wasn't much for fashion, but she felt that this looked the part.

_Yukari..._

Yukari had given this to her a while ago, she had thanked Yukari for it, but never really payed much attention to the garment, since she much preferred to stay indoors during winter, comparable to how Yukari sleeps through winter like a bear. At least now, like the mirror, she could put the outfit to good use.

She stepped into the mirror's view, it fit perfectly, and she had foregone the wrapping of her breasts, since she did not want to feel uncomfortable trying to break the outfit in. She wasn't as well endowed as Yukari and Meiling, but she was a lot more endowed than Eki. A sudden malicious chill ran down her spine. She looked about the room, finding nothing. Perhaps it was not a good idea to 'think' of the judge of the dead, as small. Differing from her usual miko outfit this shrine maiden get up was more like the one she wore when she was younger...attached sleeves.[A/N: Reimu fans are going to get for this aren't they...(^-^")]

She waved it aside and turned her attention to her hair tubes and ribbon. They seemed out of place, not that they didn't complement the color scheme but more of that they were clashing with the style. The ribbon and hair tubes made her look young, but the outfit gave her an air of maturity, and the conflicting images were displeasing to the eye. She untied the ribbon, and pulled off the hair tubes, letting her hair flow down her back. She looked at herself, pleased with the results.

She sighed, now to move on to the task at hand. Chores.

She stepped out of her bedroom's back door, leading to the shrine's exterior, extra storage room.

However upon opening said door, she was met by an unconscious oni, and her sake gourd, lying on the ground very much in dream land. A sudden breeze flashed by churning leaves in the distance, and causing the exposed oni to shiver in her sleep. Reimu closed the door again.

She emerged a moment later with a spare blanket in hand, which she draped over the sleeping oni.

Suika murmured something in her sleep, and Reimu's face suddenly reddened.

_P-perhaps I should comment on that later. _ She thought as she hurried over to the store room.

From within she retrieved baskets and her broom. Grabbing two apples on her way out, she headed to where the most leaves could be found, baskets in hand.

Personally she would prefer to laze around in bed, and let the leaves lie, but it wasn't winter yet, and worshipers might come over. You know, because they enjoy walking up a couple hundred steps up a steep hill, to worship a deity that has never been seen before, and doesn't grant miracles, cause her shrine maiden is really sit around on her la-*screen gets hit by gohei, and now has visible cracks*

Anyway, to avoid loosing what few worshipers she still possesses, she's decided to clean, no matter how unlikely she is to get any this time of year, and no matter how they don't donate at all.

Then again for her, this is just another day in Gensokyo.

[Gensokyo in the near future]

{Somewhere in the Scarlet Devil Mansion}

(In the Vault of Voile The Magic Library)

Three figures dressed in their monochromatic clothing, in shades of black and white stand before a large gate, the tree of life engraved on its face.

It takes a moment before the magician speaks first.

"Lets begin.", she whispers a single syllable, and the world is bathed in white.

[Gensokyo: Present Day]

[Scarlet Devil Mansion]

{Administration level of the Great Library}

Tried hands press warm cloth onto cold skin. The elegant perfect maid, didn't look very elegant now. Her eyes were droopy, her hair was jutting out in some places, and her garments, were soaked in dried blood.

Now she sits at the beside of her other mistress, doing her best to further her recovery.

When she found Flandre last night, she originally though that all that blood was of someone else. When ever they found Flandre covered with blood, it was always from some one else.

Never _her _own.

She took the towel to the washbowl once more, only to be stopped by a small gentle hand. She turned to her side, to see by her mistress' graceful features. A worried look, but a subtle hint says her concern is not reserved for only her sister.

Gentle hands grip her shoulders, Patchouli smiles down at her. Koakuma doing the same. She offers a weary smile, before she's hefted off her feet by strong arms, Meiling is smiling too. She carries her to the opposite end of the bed from where the others were standing by the chair.

A low knee high book shelf glides itself beside Flandre's makeshift infirmary bed, Koakuma drapes a futon over it, and Patchouli places a blanket by its side, making it identical to the one its placed directly beside.

Sakuya looks to her employers and fellows servants, in full understanding of what they mean.

Meiling places her in the book case bed, and Sakuya doesn't protest. Meiling tucks the maid in, and removes her head piece. Placing it beside the washbowl before taking a seat where Sakuya was previously sitting.

Their smiles were the last image she saw as her vision faded into unconsciousness.

_Thank you..._

And so, silver and gold rest in peace.

[End]

A/N:

For now anyway. There is much more to be had. If you haven't figured out what main plot element this is going to incorporate into this fic, your really dense. And thats no offense to you, I actually made an effort to conceal those hints so, if you cant see them, its really not your fault. It just means my concealment is working. That said I hope you enjoyed this chapter and those three magicians are going to be featured again, If anyone figures out who they are, please don't post it on the reviews, PM me to see if your right.

See you again soon, ja ne~


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